By Tim Cason, M.Ed., Consultant, TNG
NABITA membership has more than doubled over the last year. To help new members implement the NABITA Standards for Behavioral Intervention Teams (BITs), and to provide continuing members with a refresher, NABITA is launching a Tip of the Week series specifically focused on the BIT Standards. Twenty standards, twenty Tips of the Week (maybe more) aimed specifically at the practical application of the BIT Standards (Note: the twenty Tips may not be published consecutively so that NABITA can bring you timely updates regarding other topics). Previous Tips in this series can be found here.
Standard 3. Team Name: Team names communicate the role and function in a way that resonates with the campus community.
Whether you are developing a new BIT or exploring renaming your existing team, it is important to recognize that the team’s name is the first and most visible communication of the team’s purpose. While team names will vary from school to school, they should always communicate support and/or encouragement while avoiding overly tactical or law enforcement-based terminology.
Practical tip – When determining the team’s name, do not start by identifying the name. Instead, start by creating and/or reviewing the team’s mission statement and scope. Then, pick a name that exemplifies that mission and scope while also being easily distinguishable from other services or groups at the institution (e.g., Student Support Services, Crisis Response Team). Be cognizant of other local and national organizations that may have a similar name or mission to help avoid community member confusion. Other considerations include:
- Do you want an acronym that is a word (e.g., C.A.R.E. – Consultation, Assessment, Resources, and Education)? The words that create the acronym may originate from the mission statement.
- What is short and easy to remember?
- What could be turned into an easy URL that links directly to the institution’s webpage (e.g., www.institutionname.edu/CARE)?
- What could be used as an easy to remember phone number (e.g., 555-UBIT)?
- What will allow for an effective marketing and branding strategy?
- Is there a desire to incorporate the institution name or mascot into the name?
- How does the team fit into any larger institutional program or campaign?